Malawi President’s spokesman nudging govt departments to patronize family business: Yet another State House memo reveals
Even when Malawians are yet to recover from losing the Malawi Savings Bank (MSB) due to unbridled political interference and Cash-gate; the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has now turned on government ministries and departments, directing them to conduct business with Galaxy Broadcasting Company owned by the President Mutharika family and a mouth-piece of the DPP.
Galaxy FM was launched in 2012 and counts among its directors Duwa and Madalitso Mutharika, daughter and son, respectively, of former president, the late Bingu wa Mutharika, who is brother to the incumbent
“This communications serves to plead with your department to make good relations where necessary with Galaxy FM,” is the thinly veiled decree issued via a memo from Presidential Press Secretary, Gerald Viola, on July 13, 2015 to various heads of government departments.
“The radio station would like to get adverts from you whenever you feel advertising some of your products,” explains the Presidential Press Secretary, to drive the message home.
As Nyasa Times went online, Viola, confirmed he wrote the memo “after being approached by Galaxy FM representatives ” who told me the company was struggling and needed to be rescued.
Viola, a former employee of the same Galaxy FM, rose to fame on the back of the Cash-gate scandal when he named and shamed companies and individuals rumoured to have benefitted from the Joyce Banda administration phase of the financial scandal.
His appointment was interpreted in some quarters as a reward for the “brilliant work” he did marketing the DPP and decampaigning the Peoples Party (PP) led government of Banda.
Commenting on the memo, South African based academic and law expert Prof Danwood Chirwa described it as “blatant corruption and a clear case of abuse of office and state resources.”
As can be seen from the handwritten note on the memo, the communication has not been taken lightly by heads of government departments. Public relations officers have already been “encouraged” to “see to it” that Galaxy FM gets business.
All this is happening when Malawi is undergoing a turbulent economic phase, manifesting itself through people dying of curable diseases in hospitals due to lack of medicines and with teachers getting paid on the ‘sixtieth’ of the month becoming the norm.
If the Presidency recruits dubious characters to fill important positions, this always happens. Ntata is thus vindicated.
If the Presidency is unaware, peoples’ trust is eroded drastically as such stories emerge.
Please listen to the voice of reason. The trouble with people in leadership is that they become deaf by choice.
Galaxy radio should be changed with forgery seems they forged the document
kkk kodi wapeza memo imeneyi ndani kkk guys if u want to knw the truth jst download that memo kkk so funny coz that memo ikuoneka colour amapaper osiyana pamene pali logo ya galaxy its a pdf file and inamuvuta kupanga edit and pamene akunena kut anasainapo ine sindikuonapo kathu mwina amzanganu mukuonapo signature kkk koma nyasa kkk
kodi listernership yawo a galaxy ndiyofunikadi kutero? Adverts deserve better broadcasters kkkkk
tinkanena
This doesnt look authentic at all. You can’t have a memo/letter with both government emblem and Galaxy letterhead. Besides, it is not signed and looks more like some cooked up memo
In PP, we once did a similar thing and people said it was bad. It is time , Mr. Gerald Viola and DPP had learned from history for the country’s development.
Pali zambiri zobisika akuononga anthu amenewa ndipo akuwononga maministry nawo turo nkumawonongadi kumaperekadi ma advert awo ku Galaxy FM radio Turo osaulula
Nanu a Viola. Osaimba ma foni bwanji? Kkkkkkkk kupusa.
koma mr viola kkkkkkkkkkk
Paja Mulungu amaona msayiwale
Kkkkkkkkk kayaaaaa mudavotela DPP nu ine zisandikhudze.
Achewanu you are in deep trouble, whilst you are still kulimbana ndi atumbuka, alomwe in minority here they come . Its a battle you will never win ndipo simunati , whether you like it or not, government business is slipping under your watch and am really and extremely happy with these developments.panyapanu
Much as Mr Viola has been reported to have agreed writing this memo, I have questions it’s aunthnticity:
The memo bears two logos for the Malawi Government and Galaxy; is it a Governmental organization?
The memo bears no Logo for DPP yet the party is being dragged and generalized into this incident; where is the link as people mentioned thus Duwa Mutharika are not DPP but individual personalities?
Mr Viola did not sign the memo raising questions for its authenticity.
The memo is addressed to whom it may concern and we don’t know who initialed advising someone to take note; who was that someone?
Without these questions being cleared, it will be a simmilar issue regarding a fake resignation letter we saw for JB.
Aaaah! Betere bola pa Times, ndi m’njoyo.
Viola where to, are you the Media Marketing Manager now? Then shortlist all stations and do the same.Running agovernment like personal entity mxiiew
I can see where Malawi is going.
DPP
WILL NEVER CHANGE
Welensky ankatizunza koma ndi mzungu mpomveka. Lero a Lomwe ativuteso?Ambuye chitani nao nga mdachitira Faraoh
Ine zandala ayi koma football go go de ppipoz team!!!
But why Malawi? Do we have to revolt violently against these mediocrities for these people to understand the situation? Let’s do it if we must
Malawi will never develop as long as these crooks are in control of government affairs. If they managed to steal votes, what else can they fail to lay their dirty hands on. Shame.
Isn’t this abuse of office, nepotism and corruption evidence? ACB tell us what is the meaning of this in legal terms as per Anti-corruption Act. What are you going to do about it?
Mlomwe yemweyo mmafuna . You will keep on dying until you vote these imbeciles out in 2019. Unfortunately mcp is sleeping but all the chances to kick out this dpp is 80% .
These thieves will not stop at anything. This is what they know best. Shameless idiots.
Why is Galaxy logo on the same paper with Govenment logo? isnt this an anomaly? when did these two institution start using same stationery? well as for the contents of the memo my question why cant government heads respond by asking the press secretary that why Galaxy in particular? stop being cowads act as leaders..start asking the tough questions.This puppet hood mentality shouldnt be in the whole system..it shouldnt even take Nyasatimes to bring out the news and wait for public pressure.
This is sickening, honestly the president should be ashamed with this type of greed. Why can leaders be exemplary and refrain from corruption. Am sure the press secretary is working on instructions from his boss. Does Malawi need a president, who is in office to plunder government resources?
what this govt is doing is insane to the multiparty democracy i think we turning back to oppresion govt
Eeeeee! Hm hmm! Dziko likuonongeka. Eish ndatopa ndikufuna ndikhale pansi kumuzi. Koma eish kaya ndizakhalapo mokhazikika kumudzi? Kaya ine!
Nothing wrong. Galaxy has a very big and diverse audience that every advertiser would love to reach. Good advice Bwana Viola.
P/S THE BOUNTY FOR THE KILLERS OF NGAUNJE MUST BE INCREASED TEN TIMES IF NOT MORE.BE SERIOUS PLIZ
Viola is very stupid. Everyone knows that he is a DPP diehard who will case his birthday when another government is ushered in come 2019. Galaxy Radio, the mouth piece of DPP.
THE SCOTLAND YARD AND THE FBI (WHO ARE WORLD LEADERS IN THEIR FIELD ) MUST TAKE OVER THE INVESTIGATIONS ABOUT THE MURDER OF THE NGAUNJE OF ANTI-CORRUPTION BUREAU FROM THE INEPT MALAWI POLICE. IT SAD THAT THE OPPOSITION MALAWI CONGRESS PARTY IS JUST SITTING P***** CRYING THAT THE PRESIDENT DOES NOT MENTION THE NAME OF CHAKWERA AT FUNCTIONS INSTEAD OF INSTISTING THAT THE TRUTH MUST BE TOLD ABOUT THE ASSASINATION. DO WE HAVE ANY OPPOSITION OR A BUNCH OF JESTERS? THE BOUNTY FOR THE KILLERS IS LAUGHABLE, IS THE GOVERNMENT SERIOUS ABOUT GETTING THE ASSASINS OR DOING A PR STUNT? WHO IS FOOLING WHO?
Their days are numbered
timanena izi kuti ma PRO muzitenga a experience kale. Onse amene mukuwatenga ku ma newspaper ndi ma radio station akulephera ntchito. get ulendo wa Henry chimbali, , sangwani wa ku mEC, Nations msowoya, Anthony kasunda, akuthandizeni ntchitoyi
which is better to ask for business in this way or cashgate.Even joy,ufulu can still do the same.Shame on you chirwa.
It’s rubbish,what about other media houses ?
You voted for mutharika and this is what you get. Malawi will have to put up with this shit for Ten more years…what a shame!
Ooooooooooooooo! Fisi ndi fisi basi
The problem is not the violas of this world but the spineless control controlling officers in govt departments. The memo is not directed to govt Dept’s but whoever whatever that means. Amangwetu wake up and make decisions that will benefit Malawians as a people not individual families that have ties to the govt. I don’t blame viola because he is not thoroughly enlightened dull people don’t appreciate their dullness .
Mwana wa fisi sangakhale mbuzi.
Ife anasfm tatopa kaye tigone mwina tiyakha mawa pano palibe choti tinganene. Nasfm sikuyakhapo kanthu…